The Automotive X PRIZE: 5 Facts

The X PRIZE Foundation is a non-profit, educational organization with a mission to promote radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity through competition. It does so with multimillion dollar prizes awarded for solving some of the world's greatest challenges. Here's what you need to know about the foundation's background and its latest goal to develop the car of the future.

1. Innovation through Competition
In 2004, the foundation sponsored the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE to the first non-government organization to successfully launch a reusable manned spacecraft. The prize was won by the innovative aircraft designer and builder Burt Rutan, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Other competitions include the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for Genomics, $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, and now the $10 million Progressive Automotive X PRIZE.

2. Fuel Efficient Cars People will Buy
The Progressive Automotive X PRIZE is an international competition to inspire a new generation of viable, super fuel efficient vehicles. The independent and technology-neutral competition is open to teams from around the world that can design, build, and bring to market 100 MPGe (miles-per-gallon energy equivalent) vehicles. A major focus of the competition is designing a production-capable vehicle that consumers will actually buy, not science projects or concept vehicles. This means the vehicle must meet consumer demands with respect to price, size, capability, safety, environment, and performance.

3. Two Classes of Vehicles will Compete
There are two classes of vehicles in the competition: Mainstream and Alternative. Mainstream vehicle must carry four or more passengers, have four or more wheels, and offer a 200 mile range. Alternative vehicles must carry two or more passengers, have no constraints on the number of wheels, and feature a 100 mile range.

4. How Winners will be Determined
The competition will culminate in two long-distance stage races in the 2009-2010 time period - a Qualifying Race and the Grand Prize Final Race. Race courses will reflect typical consumer driving patterns during numerous stages. They will include various terrains, representative communities, and varying weather conditions. To win, a vehicle must complete both races with the lowest overall time averaged over all scoring stages, while also meeting the 100 MPGe requirement and achieving low emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Two-thirds of the $10 million prize will go the winners of the Mainstream class and one-third to the Alternative class.

5. Sponsors and Competitors
Beside the title sponsor - Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. - the Progressive X PRIZE is also sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Adobe, Idealab, the Auto Research Center, and several private donors. The competition is also being supported by the Argonne National Laboratory; the National Highway, Traffic, and Safety Administration; Federal Highway Administration; U.S.EPA; and the California Air Resources Board. Non-governmental supporters include the National Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Union of Concerned Scientists, Apollo Alliance, the Consumer Federation of America, Global Green USA, and CALSTART, among others. Over 60 teams have signed letters of intent to compete in the Automotive X-PRIZE Competition including small and innovative vehicle builders, universities, and venture technology companies from nine countries.